Dazzle Dogs restaurant in Lawrenceville, GA #Dazzledogs

David and I found the funnest, most unique place to eat a few months ago!

Dazzle Dogs is tucked next to a gas station on Braselton Highway in Lawrenceville, Ga.  It's a small place, and you'll want to either order ahead by phone, or be ok with waiting.  You will wait for a while! But trust us, the food is worth the wait!

They have some really cool gourmet hot dog options here.  My favorite is the St. Bernard - a hot dog with chili, cheese and fritos!  The Georgia Bulldog is topped with pulled pork, coleslaw and barbeque sauce.  Yum!  The fries are hand cut and absolutely delicious!  They also make hamburgers, hoagies and Philly cheesesteaks, plus wings.

St. Bernard Dog 

But the real claim to fame at Dazzle Dogs are the Dazzle shakes.  They are massive, completely overflowing with the most amazing treats.  David got the Oreo Dazzle Shake and oh. my. goodness! It's $11.99 and you will agree it's worth every penny.  They come in plastic cups so you can take it to go if you need to.  (You will!)

This oreo shake also has mini oreos embedded in frosting covered with oreo crumbs on the rim of the cup, oreos, marshmallows, a big slice of oreo cheesecake AND behind that, a giant Oreo ice cream sandwich.  Plus an oreo milkshake under it all!! 

We took a few pics - but you've GOT to check them out for yourself!! Like I said, be prepared to wait.  We waited over 30 minutes for our fries and hot dog, and almost an hour for the milkshake.  But we knew from reviews that there would be a wait, so we were prepared for it! I said it before, but it really is worth waiting for - delish, unique food will be your reward!

Go here to see the menu and ways you can customize the Dazzle shakes!

Dazzle Dogs is located at 1925 Braselton Highway in Lawrenceville, Ga.  They are open every day except Sunday.  You can find them on Facebook (@Dazzle Dogs restaurant)  and Instagram (@DogDazzle)

If you have been, share your experience in the comments below!!

Medieval Times Atlanta Castle Giveaway and Back to School Drive! #MTFAN *ended*

Medieval Times Atlanta Castle ~ Family 4 pack GIVEAWAY! 

photo credit ~ Medieval Times Atlanta

Medieval Times Dinner & Tournament’s Atlanta Castle is dedicated to “Chivalry in Action” and in honor of this philanthropic mission, they need our help for their largest-ever back to school drive.

For the first time ever, they will be providing 750 book bags to 15 pre-selected Atlanta-Area Schools!

So how can you help?  If you are local you can drop off new school supplies at their Sugarloaf Mills location - 5900 Sugarloaf Parkway, Lawrenceville GA 30043

Now through July 28th, guests who donate at least one unused school supply per ticket when visiting the Atlanta castle will receive up to $22.00 off their adult-priced tickets. Guest must show proof of donated items upon arrival at the Box Office.  Such a great way to help local kids be prepared for back to school! #ChivalryinAction

Want to win a family 4 pack of your own to visit Medieval Times Atlanta?  

Enter via rafflecopter below!! 

The person who will be donating the most supplies to this awesome back to school drive wins the family 4 pack of tickets!! Woohoo! (Minimum of 1 supply per person/ticket)

To be eligible you must be local to Atlanta, and be able to visit Medieval Times by July 28, 2019.  I will notify the winner on the 24th and you have 24 hours to confirm that you can attend.  Of course, you will need to take your school supply donation when you visit MT, too! You'll get a fun night out, and local kids will get much-needed school supplies! 

I'll be attending Medieval Times with my friend Dana and our daughters next week.  Follow me on IG, FB and Twitter to watch all the fun!! I've got some awesome school supplies to donate, too! 

Comments are not working for some reason, so please enter via Rafflecopter and I will pick a winner from there - so sorry for the issues blogger is having! 

Summer Series: Medieval Times at Sugarloaf Mills

It's almost time for school to start back, can you believe it?! I always like to do something special to celebrate the beginning of another year for my son.  One year we went to the park to feed the ducks early one Sunday morning, then had brunch. We went to see a movie he wanted to see one year. Another time we went for ice cream the night before school started!  If you like to celebrate back to school, I've got a fun idea: take your kids on a trip back in time at Medieval Times at Sugarloaf Mills! 

We took our first trip to Medieval Times a few weeks ago and it was a blast!  We got there about 1 hour and 15 minutes before the show, and there was a line already - it is popular! When you arrive you will be given a crown with the color(s) of the Knight you will be cheering for.  If you'd like,  you can have your picture taken with the King before you enter the huge gathering area.  Relax and enjoy cold drinks for everyone from the bar - they have smoothies for the kids.  Visit the Dungeon (there's a nominal charge for this).  Check out the beautiful offerings in the gift shop. You can even visit with some of the cast members before the show begins.   Before long, they will call you to the doors and begin letting you in, one color at a time.

Proudly wearing our black and white crowns!

Once inside the arena, you are seated at long tables, grouped by the colors of your Knight.  Your server will let you know the drink choices, and before long, your drinks, garlic bread and soup are in front of you.  One note here - everything is served without utensils. You are, of course, in the middle ages!  Your soup is in a bowl that you can sip out of.  We went with our friends Tiffany & Seth, and Tiffany brought along plastic cutlery for us to use, thank goodness! So, you may wish to bring your own if you prefer to eat with a fork & spoon and not your fingers!

Photo from the Medieval Times website

About this time, the show began.  Beautiful horses, Royalty, the Royal Falconer, and a storyline that will have your family cheering loudly for your Knight!  My son's favorite was the horses - he really enjoyed watching them perform.   The Falconer was fascinating to watch, as well.  And then came the jousting - I was really surprised at how much David got a kick out of that!

While we watched, we were served our main course of chicken with corn on the cob and potatoes.   Everything was delicious and so filling.  After your plates are cleared, you'll receive an apple pastry and coffee, if you'd like.  They also offer to-go boxes if you can't finish everything.   There is a vegetarian meal available if you let them know when you book your tickets.



Medieval Times was a wonderful experience.  Before we visited, I wasn't sure if I would like it, but I am glad I was wrong! It is a great family attraction, and to see those beautiful horses performing was magical.  That's why I think this makes a great back to school tradition - it's so special and unique! Your kiddos will definitely remember this night.  And if you homeschool like we do, you'll love the Partners in Education pages Medieval Times has on their website.  I really appreciate that our special night out can be turned into a history lesson for David, too!

David & his friend Seth joined us!

I don't want to spoil the show for you, so I won't give many details, but here are some pics of our night out at Medieval Times.

Such pageantry on display!

We cheered for the Black and White Knight!

King Don Carlos & Princess Catalina

I highly recommend visiting Medieval Times for your special family night, or celebration.  It's something you won't soon forget! We had a wonderful time with our friends, enjoying a delicious dinner and an exciting show.  I am sure we will be back again!

There are some great specials on the Medieval Times website right now - check them out here.  They also offer discounts for military families and free admission on your birthday.

Medieval Times is located at 5900 Sugarloaf Pkwy, Lawrenceville, Georgia 30043 in the Sugarloaf Mills Mall.  It is on the back side of the Mall and you can't miss it - just look for the big castle!

Photo from the Medievel Times Website

Medieval Times provided complimentary admission for us to attend in order to facilitate this review. No other compensation was received.  

Summer Series: Freeman's Mill Park

I'm always looking for fun places to take David to run, play, get some sunshine and exercise. A few months ago my friend Isabella shared photos on Facebook of a picnic she and her family took at a beautiful pond with a waterfall.  I started looking online to find out more and learned it was just a few minutes farther than the parks we regularly go to! We've been to this hidden gem of a park three times so far, and we'll be visiting again soon.  It's so wonderful, I just had to share! 

The following information is from GwinnettParkLife.com: 

This park along the banks of the Alcovy River includes a unique playground that replicates a gristmill, picnic pavilion, half-mile multi-purpose trail, parking and restroom facilities as well as the historic Freeman’s grist mill.

The mill was built sometime between 1868 and 1879 by brothers John Griffin Loveless and Levi J. Loveless. In 1913 W. Scott Freeman and his son, Winfield, owned it until it was purchased in 1915 by Newt Pharr. Winfield descendants continued to operate the mill through the twentieth century. In the late 1990’s the mill was placed on the National Register of Historic Places for its significance in architecture, engineering, industry, and social history. As of 1996, the mill was the only working grist mill remaining in Gwinnett County.

Freeman’s Mill played an important role in the local community in early Gwinnett County. Local farmers would bring their wheat and corn to the miller to be turned into flour and meal. Alcova Baptist Church, located up the street from the mill, used the mill pond for baptisms and the millhouse itself, provided a gathering place for the surrounding rural community. The water powered grist mill was preferred by many farmers because it would grind the corn more slowly than electric mills, resulting in a sweeter taste.

The mill changed hands several times over the years until Gwinnett County purchased the mill and surrounding property in 2002 with funding available from the Georgia Greenspace Program and the 2005 SPLOST. In 2009, the county raised and restored the mill and surrounding 12 acres for educational and recreational use offering Gwinnett County citizens a sense of the agricultural past.

Here is the Mill:  (you can get there by following the sidewalk from the parking lot down to your left and you'll see it on your right, or follow the trail by the playground through the woods and you'll end up here, as well)

Now, some shots of the pond/waterfall/beach, which is is located just past the Mill through the woods and on your left.  If you come on the trail by the playground, the pond area is before the mill on your right. 

This is the hill looking back up from the bottom - you have to navigate this, roots and all, to get down to the next level where I am standing to take this.  From here, you have another big (to me - I'm 5' tall) step down to the beach.  So if you have any issues with walking, etc. this will probably be a hard area of the park to access.  (The playground and trail are much better for accessibility!)

David and his buddy Seth

It is posted no swimming or wading, but the kids did wade in the water.   There were others doing the same.  I wouldn't let my kiddo go under water though - too murky and lots of rocks!

The playground is near the 1/2 mile path that winds back through the woods to the Mill.   The restrooms are by the parking area, and there is also a water fountain.  If you want to picnic, there is a covered pavilion by the playground.  Lots of benches too!  

It's a nice, quiet, out-of-the way park that has never been crowded when we've visited. But very easy to find - it's just a few minutes off of Highway 316, which is off I-85 in Gwinnett.   If you are in the metro Atlanta area, this is worth the drive to play and explore for an afternoon!  Bring a picnic lunch, buckets and shovels for the beach area by the pond, and towels if you plan to wade.  Then get busy making special memories!    

Freeman's Mill Park is located at 1401 Alcovy Road, Lawrenceville, GA 30045. Hours are sunrise to sunset. 

Have you been here yet?  Share your favorite park in the metro Atlanta area in the comments below! 

Mystery Room is the best place for date night or family night!

Last Friday the kids and I spent the morning defusing a bomb! No, really, we did! Actually, we didn't defuse the bomb, but we did manage to open four locked boxes to get all of the clues that could have helped us. We just didn't pick up on the right clue for the bomb.  But we had an awesome time trying! Want to solve your own mystery? Keep reading......

Mystery Room is a brand new, interactive real world detective adventure! It's located inside Sugarloaf Mills (formerly Discover Mills) in Gwinnett County, right off I-85.  You can either park and enter the Mall at Entrance 1, or go through Bass Pro Shop to get to Mystery Room .

In our family, we like to play a few of those games on Facebook - you know, the ones where you have to escape from a room, or find hidden objects, solve a mystery or puzzle.  Mystery Room is the real life version of those games! It didn't disappoint!  It is a fun place to take your family (with kids, probably 10 and up is best), or your girlfriends for a fun and unique Girls Night Out, or even make it a double date with your best friend and her guy.

It's such a great concept and so different from anything else you can do around here. Everything you need to solve the mystery is in each room - but you will have to work for it! This encourages teamwork, thinking outside the box, and it's a whole lot of fun, too.

There are six rooms for you to choose from.  You can pick a Detective Room - Sherlock's Room, Special Agent Room and Black Ops Room, all hold up to 6 people; or an Escape Room - Hollywood Room & Royal Room both hold up to 10 people, and Sports Room which holds 6 people.

Trust me when I say that you want to go with a group, and the bigger the better! In each room there is much to see, many clues to uncover, and codes to decipher. Oh, did I mention there is a lot to look at? It's not easy! So bring your friends or your kids and help each other solve the mysteries at Mystery Room.  Everyone can work together looking for clues, and also bouncing ideas off of each other to figure out the mystery.  Next time we visit it will be with more people - I think we could have defused that bomb for sure with one more person helping!

David chose the Black Ops room for us and it was much more difficult than I expected! Not gonna lie - I thought we'd be able to solve it pretty fast! But once you begin, you have 45 minutes to solve the mystery, so there is no time to waste.  There are definitely things in there to throw you off - it's very challenging trying to decide what is important and what isn't!

My daughter got a little frustrated early on, but she rallied at the end!  David was our helper, emptying things out and helping to sort through all of it, and writing down clues. The friendly and helpful staff at Mystery Room will let you know when you are about halfway through your time, and you can even buy a clue to help you out if you need to.   Whatever you decide - just have FUN with it!

If you are lucky enough to solve your room in the allotted 45 minutes, you will get your picture on the Wall of Fame!

They change the rooms on a regular basis, so you can revisit every few weeks and solve a new mystery! It was a really fun experience for my kids and me, and all the way home we kept talking about the clues that threw us off, and that last one we missed. We are definitely going back and trying another room!

They offer Corporate Team Building Events & Birthday Parties at Mystery Room, as well.

Mystery Room is located at:
Sugarloaf Mills
5900 Sugarloaf Parkway
Lawrenceville, GA 30043
Phone: 678-847-5002

Mystery Room can be found online:  Facebook, Twitter, Instagram  & Trip Advisor.

They are open 7 days a week, so get going and solve a mystery!  Tell them you heard about Mystery Room on Just Kidding Around Atlanta, please!

• 
  

Please share your experience in the comments if you've been - I want to hear what you think about the other rooms! (Trying to decide our next room to try!) Or tell me which one you plan to solve first!



Disclaimer: We were given free admission to visit Mystery Room to facilitate this review.  All opinions included in this review are my own.  No other compensation was received.